[FFmpeg-devel] [RFC] Introducing policies regarding "AI" contributions

[Vittorio Giovara]

On Mon, Jul 7, 2025 at 2:35 AM Marvin Scholz <
epirat07-at-gmail.com at ffmpeg.org> wrote:

>
>
> On 7 Jul 2025, at 2:10, Michael Niedermayer wrote:
>
> > Hi
> >
> > On Mon, Jul 07, 2025 at 12:29:44AM +0200, Alexander Strasser via
> ffmpeg-devel wrote:
> >> Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2025 00:29:44 +0200
> >> From: Alexander Strasser <eclipse7 at gmx.net>
> >> To: FFmpeg development discussions and patches <ffmpeg-devel at ffmpeg.org
> >
> >> Subject: Re: [FFmpeg-devel] [RFC] Introducing policies regarding "AI"
> contributions
> >>
> >> Hi Michael!
> >>
> >> On 2025-07-04 12:15 +0200, Michael Niedermayer wrote:
> >>> The use of tools to assist developers is growing and will
> >>> continue to grow. Its not going away.
> >>> And what one can and cannot do with these tools will evolve
> >>>
> >>> I dont think i understand the thought process behind this policy.
> >>
> >> I did not propose any policy in particular yet. So I'm not
> >> sure what you are referring to.
> >
> > a policy is premature.
> >
> >
> > [...]
> >
> >> More importantly I see no way for the license part to work out
> >> automagically. In how far is the result a derivative other works?
> >> How would we apply attribution where original works demand it?
> >> How do we now the generated code is not just a mostly exact copy
> >> of the original training material?
> >
> > How do you know that a student that was a tought C by teaching
> > materials licensed under AGPL will not produce work that falls under
> AGPL ?
> >
> > We should work on FFmpeg, review patches, fix bugs get the release done.
> > And let people use the tools that work best for them.
> >
> > I do not want to have to spend time to think about if the use of
> > tools (code completion?, some few line function prototype,
> > LLM that fixed spelling errors, ...)
> > requires a pariah mark on the patch or is "allowed"
> >
> > Such rules are IMHO not compatible with free software.
> >
> > It also would be another huge "go away" sign for the next generation
> > of developers.
>
> IMHO if something is a huge "go away" it is the lack of a modern
> development
> workflow, like what a modern Git forge offers…


Maybe we can ask AI to generate the infra needed!
-- 
Vittorio